The essence of clinical training has been said to be "experience with graduated responsibility" and this concept is followed at LECOM.

Although clinical experiences begin as early as the first and second year, Phase III consists of third and fourth year clinical rotations (or clerkships). To achieve our curricular goals and objectives these clinical rotations will utilize:

• A large base of osteopathic and allopathic physicians who have experience in both primary care and non-primary care specialties and are acutely aware of the cultural and socioeconomic milieu of modern medicine.
• Both AOA and JCAHO accredited hospitals in which students can gain the experience of patient care in the large tertiary centers, the smaller community-based hospitals, the rural hospitals and their respective resources for the benefit of their patients.
• The potential for establishing outreach clinics in urban, rural, and underserved areas which will provide healthcare resources.
• Outpatient clinical training in an environment and area in which the student may ultimately practice.
• Local community clinics staffed by professionals from the local area.
• Ways and means of developing cost-effective primary care delivery systems.

The clinical curriculum provides training on a rotational basis at a wide variety of geographically diverse sites. While most of these sites are throughout Pennsylvania, a large number of training sites are located in Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Michigan, West Virginia, Indiana, Florida, and Georgia. Students will be provided inpatient clinical experiences at hospitals and medical centers and outpatient experiences at hospital-based clinics, free-standing clinics, and physicians' offices. The availability of elective opportunities will maximize career options and enrich undergraduate medical education.

This concentrated clinical training will be initiated in the third year. During the third and fourth years, students will be required to successfully complete 24 clinical clerkships or preceptorships. Each of these clerkships is defined as one clinical rotation. These rotations are assigned by the Associate Dean of Clinical Education.

The clinical rotations are directed toward areas of medicine that are important in the primary care practice.


Third Year Rotations

• Internal Medicine I, II, III
• Surgery I, II
• Obstetrics/Gynecology
• Family Medicine (including Healthcare Management III)
• Pediatrics
• Core Selective
• Elective I, II
• Psychiatry/Behavioral Health
• Vacation (4 weeks)

Fourth Year Rotations

• Emergency Medicine I, II
• Medicine Selective
• Primary Care Selective
• Surgery Selective
• Ambulatory Medicine I, II (including Healthcare Management IV)
• Rural/Underserved
• Elective I, II, III
• Clinical Competency Development
• Vacation (4 weeks)